(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to photoresists for lithographic purposes, and more particularly to transition and inner transition metal chelate polymers for high energy resist lithography.
(2) Statement of Prior Art
Organic polymers have often been used in lithographic procedures, particularly as ultraviolet resists in integrated circuit chip manufacture. These polymers have been used to protect part of the silica (SiO.sub.2) on silicon wafers so that minute features can be developed by selective silica removal. However, in the past few years, the capacity of such chips has dramatically increased as minimum feature size has decreased. Furthermore, the use of ultraviolet light for irradiating these polymers increases scattering due to multiple order diffractions. In fact, the mask for ultraviolet radiation are often fabricated by high energy electron beam irradiation which allows smaller features. But the organic polymers are not particularly sensitive to high energy radiation. It is thus desirable to have polymers as resists involving heavier atoms which interact more strongly than in the case of organic polymers.